Kernersville woman mauled to death by dogs

KERNERSVILLE, N.C.– A Kernersville woman is dead after Forsyth County investigators say her boyfriend’s two pit bulls attacked her as she tried to feed them Monday night.

The two dogs involved in the fatal mauling of a Kernersville woman (Credit: Forsyth Co. Animal Control)

According to Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Captain Millard Shepherd, 25-year-old Katherine Atkins was trying to feed the dogs at a home on Stable Hill Trail in Kernersville. For unknown reasons, the dogs attacked Atkins as she was giving them their food.

Another man that lives at the home found Atkins dead inside a dog enclosure.

Investigators say Atkins had been around the dogs since they were puppies and there is “no history of problems or aggression” with the dogs.

The dogs were seized and have been euthanized by Forsyth County Animal Control. They are in Raleigh undergoing a necropsy.

Autopsy results will determine Atkins’ cause of death but Captain Shepherd said he does believe the dogs are to blame and doubts there will be any charges filed.

80 comments

Patricia

Valerie

First of all, this has nothing to do with the breed. This could have been a lab that killed her, and I’m sure 100% people wouldn’t make a big deal about it. Secondly, you have know idea how this happend, she could have been abusing them like hitting them, or they both got into a fight she tried to stop them and got into it. You never know what happened, nobody witness this. So it’s a total guess. They could have been raised aggressively too. I feel very sorry for what happened. People need to be educated before they say things that are totally not true.

Brianna

A sweet young woman died and all you people are worried about is if they killed her because they were pits. Stop being so disrespectful and go argue about it somewhere else. She loved those dogs and always defended pit bulls when someone was putting them down. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Phoebe Gravely

You guys are insane what some of you are saying. That its not the dogs fault. Pitbulls do have rage and the blood to “attack” in them. I am a very close friend of Katie’s and there was NO abuse, harm, weird behavior, etc. that’s how they are. some people are mad that the dogs were put down, come on people….those dogs killed someone. A daughter, a girlfriend, a best friend, and dogs…dogs, killed a sweet innocent young lady. its like someone murdering another, you would want then to be dead or in jail, til’ their dead. I am almost in tears as I type this because I lost a very very good friend and all some of care about is the stupid pitbulls. some people make me sick. while im at the viewing thinking that I wished she was still here some of you are worried more about the dogs than the wonder life that was taken away from this young lady. RIP Katherine Renee Atkins. I Love You.

C Holmstrom

Phoebe I am sorry for your loss and I send my sympathies to the young woman’s family and friends. You are right, it is shameful that people are saying bad things about her and defending dogs that killed her brutally. A young life was taken in a most horrible and senseless way and people want to say how sweet their pit bull is and defend dogs and demean the victim. Have you people lost all sense of decency?

Kendra

As I read this Article and comments it breaks my heart. But I was jut thinking all these hateful things. No one knows what exactly happened and to bash the boyfriend or the woman who was killed is disgusting. If u do not know these ppl and their dogs then no one should be saying these things have the common respect that a life was lost tragically. Ppl are disgusting. Don’t blame the boyfriend the dogs did it. Not all pit bulls hurt ppl some do and why may be just because something flipped. But if u do not know the owners and how they raised their dogs don’t say anything. That might have been a pen just for when they are outside. My friend said that just a few days ago there were pictures of the couple at a park with their dogs. Shame on everyone who put anything neg about these ppl who are suffering. No one knows so don’t judge or jump to conclusions. May god be with the family and friends of the woman who lost her life.

Mopps

When you own a pet you should know everything about it. Own a pit? You should know and understand how it came to be. Ignore the facts and you will reap the consequences. They are animals and react on instincts. Other dogs may do the same, if they were BRED to be attack dogs, fighters etc. There is a difference between breeding and raising. You cannot take the breeding out of a dog. You can train and raise it but some animals will still show their breeding. With pits the consequences are much more severe because of their BREEDING. This is not hating on a breed. It is all about educating yourself.

C Holmstrom

The National Canine Research Council is hardly an unbiased source. And the ASPCA euthanized the pit bull type dog Oreo that was thrown off a roof, even after paying for the surgery. According to the ASPCA this was because of severe aggression problems and they chose to euthanize even though a sanctuary was willing to take him. So what they say and what they do are two different issues.

aw

Simply put, and no offense to the family and deepest condolences. HOWEVER, this is a result of bad training…pitbull’s require ample mental and psychological training/stimulation, a dependable partner and more importantly dominant. I see way TOO MANY incompetent owners w/ hard to train dogs such as the PITBULLS or BULL TERRIERS or ROTWEILERS, when they DO NOT have the required amount of dedication to train these dogs, who NEED to release their energy w/ sufficient exercise, praise, discipline. This is a result of lazy, incompetent owners who don’t properly train their dogs and MOST LIKELY need to train themselves since they cannot keep UP with their dogs.